CEWARN Strategy Visual Journey
The story of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism’s groundbreaking strategy — Engineered and led an eight-week strategy development initiative using a systems thinking approach, aimed at understanding emergent complexities. Engaged nearly 5,000 stakeholders across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda through a methodologically robust process. Use a visualizing approach with national officials and NGOs to show the crisis response system’s interconnected elements and emergent properties. The strategy, validated in July 2012, was designed to be responsive to the complex, dynamic nature of the environments within which CEWARN operates.
Building Bridges Presidential Taskforce Report
ELECTED MEMBER OF THE PERMANENT FORUM ON PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, a United Nations General Assembly initiative, serves as both a consultative and advisory body focusing on the well-being of people of African descent. Ambassador Martin Kimani, the only member from an African member state, and notably elected with the highest number of votes by the General Assembly, is a key contributor to this forum.
The forum’s sessions are detailed in its annual reports, particularly A/HRC/54/68, which covers the first two sessions. These reports offer critical insights into the forum’s activities and its impact on advancing its mandate.
THE PIONEERING KENYA NATIONAL STRATEGY TO COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM
The Kenya National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism, led by Ambassador Martin Kimani as the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), was a pioneering response to terrorism. Ambassador Kimani spearheaded the strategy’s conceptualization, development, and its nationwide implementation. This initiative was one of the first globally, especially for a country challenged by an Al Qaeda affiliate, to adopt preventive, non-kinetic, and human rights-based approaches to terrorism. The strategy’s comprehensive and inclusive approach contributed to the NCTC’s recognition as a global center of excellence in counter-terrorism efforts.
Terrorist Attacks and the Kenyan Economy.
In Wafula Okumu & Anneli Botha (Eds.), Understanding Terrorism in Africa: Building Bridges and Overcoming the Gaps. Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria, South Africa.
CO-FACILITATOR FOR THE LANDMARK UN RESOLUTION A/76/305 ON FINANCING FOR PEACEBUILDING
The UN General Assembly’s resolution A/RES/76/305, adopted on September 8th 2022, marks a significant milestone in financing for peacebuilding. This resolution stands out because it is the first time the General Assembly has unanimously agreed on using assessed funding for peacebuilding and sustaining peace, moving beyond the reliance on voluntary contributions. This broader, more committed approach to peacebuilding includes recognizing its benefits globally, not just in specific regions. Achieved through extensive diplomatic efforts, notably by Kenya’s and Sweden’s Permanent Representatives, the resolution reflects a collective commitment to sustainable financing for peacebuilding. It underscores the importance of both monetary and non-monetary contributions and calls for multi-year, flexible funding commitments. Additionally, it signifies a shift in the UN’s approach, showing that the General Assembly can forge consensus and lead in peace and security, unlike the often geopolitically polarized Security Council. This resolution, therefore, represents a pivotal advancement in the international community’s approach to peacebuilding.
